The Meters Collection’ to mark the coming of smart meters: free to enter jewellery competition

If you didn’t already know, every home in Great Britain between now and 2020 will be offered the opportunity to upgrade to gas and electricity smart meters. This means that over 53 million new meters will be installed in homes up and down the country.

To mark the coming of the control that smart meters bring, three lovely bloggers have taken the inner workings of an old analogue electricity meter and working with North London boutique jeweller, Tomfoolery have up-cycled the components into stylish pieces of jewellery. The Meters Collection!

Your energy supplier installs the new technology at no extra cost. Smart meters come with a portable in-home display that shows you in near real time how much energy you are using and the true cost in a language that we all understand, pounds and pence. The smart meter sends your meter readings to your supplier meaning no more estimated bills, you pay exactly for what you use.

You can see the pieces created by Fresh & Fearless, Taislany and Tales of a Pale Face below. Now here is the good part, each blogger has five pieces of their creation to give away to their readers. All that you have to do is pop over to their blog, tell them one of the benefits of smart meters (hint, look at the previous paragraph) and you’ll be entered into the draw, and just in time for Christmas.

Tales of a Pale Face click here to win with Kat

Taislany click here to win with Taislany

Fresh & Fearless click here to win with Aftab.

When analogue energy meters are upgraded to smart meters it is done by specially trained engineers and they are taken away and their parts recycled. This one-off jewellery project has been done under safe and controlled conditions using meters that have already been removed from homes. This should not be replicated at home!

What do you think of the jewellery that has been created?

*this post has been written by Beautykinguk

Beauty Christmas Baubles/Stocking Fillers and Candy Canes

Now the tree is out of storage or if you have a real tree, ready to purchase, how amazing would it look with these beauty baubles?  The thing I love about Beauty Baubles is that they also make lovely stocking fillers too.  

This year there seems to have been an explosion of Beauty Baubles, so I have selected the ones which have caught my eye and are a bit of a bargain and all £20 or under!

Aromatherapy Associates My Treat £8 from LookFantastic - The Aromatherapy Associates 'My Treat' Christmas Gift contains a Revive Morning Bath & Shower Oil, an invigorating blend of essential oils to revive and awaken the mind and body.

Burt's Bees® Bee-inspired Beeswax Gift Set £7 from John Lewis - This bargain bauble contains the classic 100% Natural Beeswax Lip Balm for moisturised, healthy looking lips, plus a mini Hand Salve for needy nails.

Balance Me - This Balance Me Beautiful Body Christmas Set features a soothing, 'Rose Otto Body Cream' and is just £4.50 on LookFantastic.

Boots No.7 GLoss Shine Duo - The limited edition gift set contains a sheer Nude Pink for a laid-back look, and a shiny Deep Pink for a high impact pout. Contains a 4ml No7 Limited Edition Gloss Shine - Deep Pink and a 4ml No7 Limited Edition Gloss Shine - Nude Pink. Just £8 from Boots.

Bubble T Bauble shower gel stack gift set - A colourful selection of mood enhancing shower gels in bauble bottles. Choose from our range of fragrances based on your mood and be sure to revive, stimulate or restore your mind, body and soul. £12 from Debenhams.

Caudalie present the Limited Edition Divine Oil, a multi-purpose dry oil that can be used on the body, face, hair and as a bath or massage oil. Formulated with a unique blend of oils, including grape, hibiscus, sesame and argan to replenish moisture and deliver intense nourishment for long-lasting comfort. £8 from LookFantastic

Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Eyes Party Bauble £20. Encased in a sparkling, star-adorned bauble, you’ll a mini Rock 'N' Kohl: Bedroom Black and a mini Legendary Mascara. Here.

DECLÉOR Surprise Bauble £12 from Feelunique. This sparkly bauble contains the Intense Nutrition, Luxuriant Nourishing Lip Balm, 8g.

Emma Hardie Merrily Moringa Balm and Cloth Bauble. Emma Hardie Merrily Moringa Balm is packaged in an Emma Hardie bauble with a mini Moringa Balm and Cleansing Cloth hidden inside. £15 from FeelUnique.

Eve Lom Kiss Mixx Disco Ball £16 Space NK - Use EVE LOM’s cult classic Kiss Mix under lipstick as a moisturising base, on its own for a pearlised sheen, or over lip colour for a hydrating protective shine.

GHD Smooth and Finish Serum bauble £15 here - The limited edition copper luxe ghd smooth & finish serum bauble; featuring the classic ghd smooth & finish serum in travel friendly 30ml size.

Liz Earle Winter Glow Gift Care Set £8 John Lewis - This set contains the Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask, 15ml and one Pure Muslin Cloth.

L'Occitane Cherry Blossom Festive Bauble £10 here - A sweet tree decoration that capture the poetic beauty of springtime in Provence, where flowering cherry tree colour the Luberon hills and perfume the air. This delightful gift includes: A 35ml Cherry Blossom Shower Gel,  35ml Cherry Blossom Body Lotion and a 10ml Cherry Blossom Hand Cream.

Melvita L'Or Bio Bauble £11 from Feeluniqe. This is an absolute bargain of a bauble. Melvita L'Or Bio Bauble contains Melvita's essential natural treasures for your skin:- 

Extraordinary Oil 9ml,  L'Or Bio Soap 20g, L'Or Bio Shower Gel 40ml and L'Or Bio Body Milk 40ml

Nails inc Candy Cane Duo gift set £10 from Boots - I love the idea of having a Beauty Candy Cane and this one contains two 5ml polishes from Nails Inc. in Kensington High Street’ Red Wine Polish and Knightsbridge Nights’ Gold Glitter Polish 

NUDE Liquid Gold Christmas Bauble exclusive to SpaceNK and just £15 - Inside this cute poackaging you will find NUDE’s ProGenius Firming Youth Oil (10ml). A velvety, nutrient-dense omega treatment with a mega-dose of genius firming ingredients.

Seventeen - The Seventeen Colour Blast Duo includes a bright Nail and Lip colour, perfect to add the finishing touch to her Christmas make up look. Includes 1 x 4ml Nail Colour and 1 x 1.2ml Lip Lustre. Priced at £6 right here.

Soap and Glory Pink Twice - This little gem contains a 50ml tube of Hand Food and a 50ml tube of Heel Genius and costs just £5 at Boots.

The Body Shop - Strawberry Treats cube of bath and body treats is scented with wildly fruity strawberry. Ideal if you’re on the hunt for stocking fillers. This set contains Strawberry Shower Gel 60ml, Strawberry Body Puree 60ml and a small red bath lily.  At £5 here it is an absolute bargain.

This Works Sleep Tight Bauble £13 from XX. This bauble Contains: 2 x 5ml deep sleep pillow spray, 1 x 5ml sleep plus pillow spray. 

Too Faced Melted Tree Hanging £10 - deluxe size of the bestselling Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Berry. Find it here.

Too Faced Better than Sex Tree Hanging £10 - Better Than Sex Mascara in this cute little mini right here.

Top Shop Limited Edition Mini Lip Bullet in Covert £5 here - Gold hanging pack, containing a limited edition shade of our cream lip bullet formula in shade Red black!

Have any of these little gems caught your eye, I love that there is so much variety at purse friendly prices!

*this post contains PR samples/AF Links unless indicated otherwise

PREEN for Elizabeth Arden GWP

I do love a Gift with Purchase offer and Preen from Elizabeth Arden at Debenhams is quite something!  To get it all you need to do is purchase 2 or more Elizabeth Arden products and receive your FREE* Preen bag featuring 6 beauty must-haves and they are perfect for travelling with!

Inside a beautiful black floral bag you will find the follow:

• Eight Hour® Cream All-Over Miracle Oil 30ml - This light, silky formula is infused with tsubaki oil. A head-to-toe oil, it leaves your face and body soft to the touch and gives hair a beautiful shine. Clinically proven to last for 8-12 hours.
• Grand Entrance Mascara 2.5ml - This spectacular innovation in lash technology sets the stage for triple-action performance. From the first stroke, increase volume, length and curl.
• SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster 5ml - This ultra-light formula works holistically to restore the healthy look of your skin's essential surface layer, fortifying its natural ability to repair and renew. Used before a serum or moisturiser, it boosts the effectiveness of your skincare products
• PREVAGE® Anti-Ageing Treatment Boosting Cleanser 50ml - This advanced formula gently cleanses and exfoliates while enhancing the performance of PREVAGE® anti-ageing serums.
• PREVAGE® Anti-Ageing + Intensive Repair Daily Serum 5ml - This luxurious correcting serum combines idebenone with our exclusive ingredient, arazine,™ to help neutralise 95% of environmental free radicals and minimise the visible signs of ageing caused by cellular inflammation.
• PREVAGE® Anti-Ageing Moisture Lotion SPF 30 15ml - This high performance multi-defense moisturiser with idebenone helps even skintone and diminish the appearance of ageing signs - fine lines and wrinkles.

Preen was founded in 1996 by Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi with a joint love of all things Victoriana, a passion for recycling, and with that masculine and feminine, hard/soft mix the couple bring to their designs. The brand is constantly evolving and growing. Now designing six womenswear collections a year, with a style that is described as deconstructed chic with a minimal opulence, Justin and Thea have grown their label from a tiny shop in London's Portobello Road, to selling in over 32 countries worldwide. Preen designs are worn by high profile celebrities and is now a must-see show on the London Fashion Week schedule.

Offer only available while stocks last so grab it quick!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Hylamide High Efficiency Cleaner

As a brand, I love Deciem and I love that they bring science to the beauty world, make it interesting, you always learn something and I am yet to be left feeling disappointed by a product I have tried from the range.  So Hylamide High Effiencient Cleaner is the newest product to my collection and I just love it.

Referred to as a cleaner rather than a cleanser, Hylamide is described as being 'a crystal clear micro-emulsion that works like an oil cleanser but feels like a water-based one to leave skin perfectly clean and clear'. Expertly formulated, Mediterranean Crambe and East Asian Kanuga Oils work alongside fruit and plant extracts to help eliminate impurities, excess oil and makeup. Purified Tomato Carotenoids and Amazonian Oils then leave behind a protective non-comedogenic barrier to combat dirt and harmful pollutants.  So just like that we have a product which promises to:

• Removes all traces of makeup
• Eliminate impurities
• Purifies the pores
• Eliminates excess Oil
• Provide surface hydration to the skin

When using Hylamide, if you are wearing makeup, then you should apply it directly to a dry face, if you have removed your makeup already, then you apply it to a wet face.  I have tried using it both ways and it works incredibly well either way.  On a dry face, I pour Hylamide into the palm of my hands then massage onto my face and in doing so, you can feel and see your makeup and other gubbins simply breaking down and being removed.  I used a Muslin cloth to wipe my face after I felt I had massaged for long enough and more makeup, dirt and grime came off my face than I was expecting!  On a wet face, ensure your face is obviously damp, it doesn't need to dripping down your skin, but repeat the action above and although you cannot see 'stuff' being removed as clearly using this method, if you wipe your face afterwords with a Muslin cloth (or flannel) then you will see just how much 'stuff' there was to remove and it might possibly make you feel a tad green and a little bit ashamed!

Once dry, my skin always feeling amazingly clean, soft to the touch and as though it can breathe. An issue i have with living in London is that sometimes after a day of travelling around, I just want to come home and clean my face because it feels just totally vile. So havin Hylamide within my grasp helps put me at ease. There is no drying feeling, my skin doesn't feel tight and nor have I had any kind of reaction. I always add my serum and moisturising cream after using and everything applies like a dream.

Hylamide High Efficiency Face Cleaner is £19 available to order online from Lookfantastic and in some Boots stores.  

Have you tried anything from Deciem before?  There are some amazing Cyber Monday Deals right here!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Cyber Monday with Deciem

When I first started blogging, one company who gave me a huge boost was Deciem with their amazing product, which I still use today some 3 years on, Inhibitif. A simple search on my blog will bring up a whole host of posts which saw my blog featured on the packaging! Fast Forward to today and this is a company who have grown and have become even more amazing and today they have some amazing Cyber Monday deals which can be found here!

What I love about Deciem is the ability to give products amazing names, use a lot of science but be matter of fact about what it is and what it is - as simple as that.

• Hylamide Set - Was £100 now just £39!  This set features 5 products which are:
• SubQ Anti-Age 30ml -  A highly active concentrate of advanced hyaluronic complexes, next-generation peptides and biotechnological technologies to target rehydration, while improving the look of lines, wrinkles, sagging skin and textural damage
• Sub Q Eyes 15ml - High-strength serum concentrate uses a wide array of peptides, plant saccharides and active technologies to rehydrate the fragile eye area, while targeted technologies improve the look of fine lines, crow's feet, puffiness and dark circles.
• High Efficiency Face Cleaner 120ml - A highly-efficient, crystal-clear micro-emulsion brings together oils, esters and water-compatible cleaners into one advanced formula that works like an oil cleaner but acts like a water-based one and rinses off effectively. See my review here.
• Ha Blur 30ml - This is one product I really want to try. HA Blur uses an unusual new form of Hyaluronic Acid powder base for its blurring approach. Hyaluronic Acid has never been used for this purpose before and renders HA Blur compatible with all makeup and all skin types, while the blurring effect is exceptional. In fact, it's so compatible with makeup that you can apply under or over foundation, or mix it with any liquid foundation for an ultra-high-definition skin finish.
• Hydra-Density Mist 120ml - Advanced treatment to support dermal water density for intense lightweight hydration and comfort.

Niod Set - was £153 now just £60 - This set contains 5 amazing products which are:

• Copper Amino Isolate Serum 1.00% (30ml) - As a highly-focused effort to maintain healthy-looking skin, this serum offers a novel approach to target all signs of skin aging indirectly. This concentrated serum departs from the traditional thinking of addressing visible aspects of skin aging individually and instead forms a foundation to respect skin health.
• Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex (30ml) - A multi-dimensional approach to topical hyaluronic supplementation, this advanced serum combines 12 forms of hyaluronic compounds in a peptide-charged delivery system to offer hydration and to help skin surface look plump, comfortable and uniform.
• Sanskrit Saponins (90ml) - is a viscous and intense cleaning balm for the face formulated with highly-concentrated, very-unrefined Ayurvedic plant surfactants unsupported by any modern cleaning technology. SS contains no purified or synthetic surfactants, sulphates, oils, esters or micellar technologies. It is a pH-balanced suspension of the amino acid, Lysine, in saponins from the Ayurvedic plants shikakai and sapindus mukorossi.
• Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist (240ml) - This is a dermal treatment mist–not to be classified mistakenly as a "toner"–that acts as a fundamental daily force against oxidative stress, water loss and the look of inflammation, all of which contribute to loss of visible skin quality over time. The large 240ml mist format allows for generous and frequent application to the face and the body as desired.

Masque Set - Was £76 now just £30 - This set features 3 products which are:

• Sanskrit Saponins (90ml) - This is a viscous and intense cleaning balm for the face formulated with highly-concentrated, very-unrefined Ayurvedic plant surfactants unsupported by any modern cleaning technology. SS contains no purified or synthetic surfactants, sulphates, oils, esters or micellar technologies. It is a pH-balanced suspension of the amino acid, Lysine, in saponins from the Ayurvedic plants shikakai and sapindus mukorossi. Cleaning started with water. 
• Myrrh Clay (50ml) - Myrrh Clay is a treatment masque that visibly firms the skin, borrowing from a triangle of Ayurvedic, Unani and traditional Chinese studies of medicine. Myrrh Clay offers an instant and visible tightening of the skin immediately and without forming a noticeable film on the surface of the skin as is common with modern skin firming formulations. 
• Mastic Must (90ml) - This is a transparent masque for efficient, yet innocuous, cleaning and visible refinement of pores and impurities, resulting in immediate and maintainable visible reduction in both the number and the size of pores. MM uses a highly-densified sap from Greek mastic trees. It is a dense gum that binds to congestion like gum would but it doesn't bind to oil or water just like gum wouldn't. It purifies and shrinks the look of pores without drying. The sap is a powerful anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.

HIF Set - Was £90 now just £29 - This set features three products which are:

• Growth Support (180ml) - Promote healthy hair growth with HIF’s growth support cleansing conditioner. With an high-strength copper peptide matrix, the scalp is stimulated to produce more collagen and elastin which in turn strengthens the hair follicle. My hair absolutely loves Growth Support!
• Intensive Detox (180ml) - After a night of extra hairspray and teasing, it’s good to give hair a detox. HIF’s intensive detox cleansing conditioner provides the scalp with superior cleansing while offering a strong cooling effect. A desert date bio-complex is included that is rich in iron content, helping combat hair loss and eliminate dirt and extra residue on the scalp. Deep conditioning actives help hydrate and strengthen hair at the roots, leaving hair feeling soft and supple. This is also one of my favourite hair care products EVER!
• Volume Support (180ml) - Provide strength and body to fine or combination hair with a boosting shampoo that adds volume and support. Rich in pea bio-peptides, HIF volume support helps encourage hair volume at the root through strengthening, moisturising and protecting the hair follicle.

The Chemistry Brand Set was £62 now just £19 - This set features three products which are:

• Hand Chemistry (100ml) - I have already featured this right here but Hand Chemistry is a concentrated multi-functional hand cream targets 8 signs of hand aging simultaneously. The extraordinary 19.5% active complex concentration improves the looks of firmness, elasticity, density, evenness, brightness, texture, smoothness and hydration.
• Heel Chemistry (100ml) - Another great product and one I have used many times. Unlike traditional heel creams which focus on removing the hard skin, our 19.5% active complex hydrates the cracked skin topically whilst supporting below surface hydration to avoid the traditional hard skin cycle. Contains a marine complex clinically proven to improve visible skin texture and hydration, while counteracting extreme dryness. This formula contains no urea and no acids.
• Hyaluronic Concentrate (240ml) - For the hands and body Hyaluronic Concentrate contains an extraordinarily high concentration of nature-like hyaluronic acid, suspended in a base of skin-supporting red algae and tamarind. Continued use helps retain hydration, while enhancing visible texture and delivery of actives.

Inhibitif Set - Was £59 now just £19 - This set features three products.

• Inhibitif Body Serum (240ml) - Contains advanced technologies to minimize the looks of hair regrowth, irritation, redness and ingrown hairs, while hyaluronic acid hydrates deeply. Apply evenly on shaved or waxed body areas twice per day for 2 months or until hair regrowth appears reduced. Apply once every other day to maintain visible results thereafter.
• Inhibitif Face Serum (30ml) - Contains a high concentration of advanced technologies to minimize the looks of hair regrowth, irritation and redness.
• Inhibitif Intimate Care (60ml) - Also contains advanced technologies to minimize the looks of hair regrowth, irritation, redness and ingrown hairs, while hyaluronic acid hydrates deeply.

Can't decide which set to purchase? How about The Big Set? It contains NINE products that have a value of £224 but has been reduced to just £79!

This set contains:

• hif Volume Support - Provide strength and body to fine or combination hair with a boosting shampoo that adds volume and support. Rich in pea bio-peptides, HIF volume support helps encourage hair volume at the root through strengthening, moisturising and protecting the hair follicle.
• Hand Chemistry - This is a concentrated multi-functional hand cream targets 8 signs of hand aging simultaneously. The extraordinary 19.5% active complex concentration improves the looks of firmness, elasticity, density, evenness, brightness, texture, smoothness and hydration.
• Hylamide High Effienciey Face Cleaner - A highly-efficient, crystal-clear micro-emulsion brings together oils, esters and water-compatible cleaners into one advanced formula that works like an oil cleaner but acts like a water-based one and rinses off effectively.  I have reviewed it here.
• Hylamide Hydra Density Mist - Advanced treatment to support dermal water density for intense lightweight hydration and comfort.
• Hylamide Anti-Age - A highly active concentrate of advanced hyaluronic complexes, next-generation peptides and biotechnological technologies to target rehydration, while improving the look of lines, wrinkles, sagging skin and textural damage
• Hylamide Eyes - High-strength serum concentrate uses a wide array of peptides, plant saccharides and active technologies to rehydrate the fragile eye area, while targeted technologies improve the look of fine lines, crow's feet, puffiness and dark circles.
• Niod Photography Fluid - I am using this currently and it is just amazing.  A novel approach to creating a foundation for skin that reflects even radiance in life and very specifically through the camera lens, this instant treatment is serum-textured but contains a wide array of light refracting prisms, tone and hue correctors and topical photo-finishing technologies to offer even radiance within seconds.
• Niod Flavonone Mud - Flavanone Mud is a three-phase rinse-off decongestion system that disrupts neither the skin surface equilibrium nor its density. While FM can be classified as a masque for categorical convenience, its approach varies substantially from that offered by the concept of masques today both in terms of its way of positive visible influence on the skin as well as its respect for dermal integrity.
• Stemm - A high-potency serum for hair that looks thicker, denser, fuller and healthier. This advanced leave-in scalp formula combines a wide array of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, peptides, polyphenols and other nutrients at extraordinarily high concentrations to help hair achieve its healthiest-, densest- and fullest look with continued use.

If all of this isn't enough then we have a £1 offer in the form of Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 - 30ML. We all know that Hyaluronic Acid can attract up to 1,000 times its weight in water. The molecular size of it determines its depth of delivery in the skin. This formulation combines low-, medium- and high-molecular weight HA, as well as a next-generation HA crosspolymer at a combined concentration of 2% for multi-depth hydration in an oil-free formula. This system is supported with the addition of Vitamin B5 which also enhances surface hydration.

This for me is an amazing deal whether you are a fan of Deciem, have always wondered who and what they are and have always been tempted!  

Do any of the products capture your attention?

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*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Lipstick Gift Guide

There is no question about it, I am lipstick obsessed and have a growing collection but there is something about a Christmas set which makes me just want more.  There are so many amazing gift sets to be had that I have out together a little guide of my favourites and some of which I am hoping Father Christmas might send to me!

MAC - Nutcracker Sweet Nude Lipstick Kit £26 at Selfridges - MAC’s Nutcracker Sweet Nude Lipstick Kit features four luxurious mini Lipsticks in lush toffee brown shades. This covetable coordinated collection comes in a beautiful little box featuring a fuchsia and burgundy design with gold accents – perfect for the approaching festive season. The four lipsticks in this set are Crème Cup, Kinda Sexy, Nouvelle Vogue, Whirl.

Staying with MAC for their Nutcracker Sweet Red Lipstick Kit £26 from House of Fraser - A kit of miniature treasures brimming with four mini Lipsticks in candy cane red shades. This coordinated kit for lips comes in a stylish little box featuring a fuchsia and burgundy design with gold accents. Featuring Lady Danger, MAC Red, Diva and Rebel this is an amazing kit.

Elizabeth Arden 'Ceramide Lipstick' Christmas gift set £39 in Debenhams. Now I am a big fan of these Ceramide Lipsticks and have a few already but put them with a beautiful cream pouch and I am sold. Featuring Melon, Rouge, Ruby Rose and Peony there is something for everything within the collection.

bareMinerals 'You Better Not Pout' mini Moxie lipstick collection Christmas gift set £29 in Debenhams. Lavish your lips with sumptuous shades and luscious color that slips on satiny-smooth. Each beautiful hue infuses your lips with a moisture-loaded hydrating complex to help nourish and condition for a healthy-looking pout. This set contains seven lipsticks: Act Natural, Speak Your Mind, Fly High, Never Say Never, Call The Shots, Watch Me and Break Away. Admittedly I haven't tried any of them or anything from bareMinerals but so many people rave about the brand, it is up there on my watch list.

Charlotte Tilbury Mini Lipstick Charms - Gorgeous things come in small packages! Back by popular demand the new Mini Lipstick Charms feature all the fabulous, lip-softening benefits of my regular K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipsticks in a handy, clutch-friendly size. Featuring Penelope Pink, pretty pink Bitch Perfect and iconic So Marilyn red. A bargain at £29 and retails from Charlotte Tilbury online here

So there are the lipstick gift sets that have caught my eye as I have been planning some blog posts. Have there been any to have caught your eye?

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

2017 Wedding Trends

Quite rightly, brides and grooms want their wedding to be flawless and fun for all involved. To help you create the wedding of your dreams, here are some key wedding trends of 2017.

Bridal Fashion

Even though we’ll still see a lot of white wedding gowns next year, salons are packing an increasing number of wedding dresses in all shades of pink and other pastel hues. Brides shouldn’t be afraid to show their true colours in 2017!

Brides interested in a more relaxed look will love the beachy bohemian look set to remain a hot trend. Many brides will be complimenting this look with a gorgeous crown braid rather than a flower crown. 

For shoes think lacy wedding shoes, peep-toe wedding shoes and of course the pearly white satin shoes. Brides interested in making a statement can opt for coloured wedding shoes, a perfect compromise if you want to include colour but aren’t quite willing to trade in the iconic white dress.

Bridesmaids 

The trend of having mismatched bridesmaids will be hot in 2017. Brides are advised to give a certain amount of free reign. Perhaps suggest a designer, a color palette, a fabric and provide some general guidelines to your bridesmaids and then let them choose a style of dress that flatters their body, fits their style and makes them look great. 

Say Goodbye To The After Party

Don’t worry, don’t say good bye completely! Just know that the trend in 2017 is to keep the same location for both the ceremony and the reception. This gives way to whole lot of wedding venue choices and allows the bride and groom to be as creative as they wish. 

Food & Drink

We’ll see an increase in sustainable catering in 2017. Wedding food that is prepared from local homegrown ingredients will be sourced out by many new brides and grooms, keeping a little of the traditional ‘home town’ feel despite the venue or location choice. 

Creative catering will also be a big trend. From original food trucks to innovative ways of presenting desserts or appetizers, let your imagination run wild and don’t be afraid to surprise your guests with the food you offer and the way it is presented.

Author bio - Molly Jones 

Molly is a Marketing assistant at Pink Paradox London. Molly has always been interested in fashion, specifically shoes, and regularly writes content for both Pink Paradox and Benjamin Adams. 

Brand Bio - Pink Paradox London is a global brand supplying high quality, comfortable wedding shoes suitable for all seasons. Starting as a family run business over 30 years ago, today Pink is an award winning brand and regarded as one of the leading bridal footwear providers in the world.

Twitter handle: @pinkparadoxln

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Lipcare and the products I use!

With the colder months having now arrived and the heating back on, I find that my lips are drier than ever and that I need to take much more notice an much more care of them. I am also prone to cold sores which is the bane of my life, they are unsightly, they are sore and they are irritating. 

The lips and mouth are one of the most important features on the face. No one really needs to be greeted by lips which are dry, chapped, cracked and flaking. Given we use them to eat, speak, kiss and express ourselves, we really should tak good care of them. In order to ensure I keep my lips soft, supple and smooth rather than dry, cracked, chapped and sore, I am sharing with you some of my favourite and most reached for products.

I am never without a lip scrub, for me it is a fundamental part of my lip care routine and nine times out of ten, it will be from Lush - either Mint Julips or Bubblegum. The idea with these scrubs is that they are soft enough not to scratch and irritate your lips but are abrasive enough to remove any dead and dry skin cells. Easy to use you simply wet your lips slightly (well I do) and then using your index finger, which again needs to be wet, you dab it into your lip scrub pot and then gently rub it across your lips in a circular motion. As you do this, you will find that it does remove all that horrid skin that is just sitting there. I also use my lip scrub before applying any lipstick which clings to the smallest piece of dry skin too!

SoreFix is another product I like to have around. Using a unique Zinc formulation, SoreFix not only treat scold sore symptoms, but also prevent cold sore outbreaks. The zinc salts encapsulates herpes virus infected cells, preventing them from affecting healthy cells. This allows SoreFix lip balm to effectively treat the symptoms and reduce the severity before the virus spreads. Discreet and invisible, the last time I had a coldsore, the tingling sensation on my top lip was a sign a cold sore was on its way, usually once it has arrived it stays around for up to 2 weeks, with Sorefix it was gone within 5 days. It also has SPF30 which really impressed me and this is a product I would highly recommend to anyone who is, like me, a sufferer.

Lip Balms come in all different shapes and sizes and I keep them everywhere - on my desk, in every handbag, my desk drawer, my make up bag, the bed side table and even in the bathroom. I am never without 2 or 3 at any one time and am constantly using them. Today I am sharing some of my favourites which reach across a wide price bracket and are all superb.

Balmi Lip Balms. I am quite obsessed with the Baby Balmi Balms which you can find in Primark for around £2. They have a unique formula which uses a special blend of Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil and Vitamin E to help keep your lips moisturised, soft and smooth. I have Fresh Mint and Summer Berry flavours.

Burt's Bees.  I adore Burt's Bees and I love the lip balms which comes in a variety of flavours and my current obsession is this new Ginger Spice balm which smells just like freshly cooked Gingerbread. It is 100% natural and contains no parabens, phthalates, SLS or petrolatum. 

EOS Smooth Stick Balm.  As well as the round Balms I also like the stick balms which I pick up in my local Pharmacy and they are just brilliant.  I adore the mint shade which gives you a sharp blast of peppermint and when applied to the lips it is instantly cooling and soothing. This balms is 95% organic, 100% natural, and paraben and petrolatum free. Packed with antioxidant-rich vitamin E, soothing shea butter and jojoba oil.  Priced around £4.99 they are good value for money.

Lanolips is a brand that if you haven't yet tried, then you need too. Lanolin is 100% natural & animal cruelty free. It’s found on the wool of sheep that helps keep their coat protected and dry throughout the year. I am a huge fan of the original 101 Ointment which is a bit of a superbalm and as the name suggests, has 101 uses! For the purpose of using it on my lips, it delivers extreme hydration and is quick to soothe and smooth. All you need to do is smooth it between your fingers and then apply to your lips. It also makes a perfect base before the application of lipstick! You can find Lanolips in a variety of stores such as Boots and online for around £10.99.

Rodial STEMCELL Super-food Glam Balm Multi. This is one product from Rodial that I always grab if it is a freebie on any magazine. Some have described the texture as being similar to that of Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream. Once it is released from the tube onto your finger, the texture melts slightly and becomes almost an oil and on the lips it moisturises, hydrates and soothes. It uses High tech Alp Rose Stem Cells which is highly resistant to UV rays and can preserve the skin as well as 3D Hyaluronic Filling Spheres which help to increase cell vitality and quickly reduce the look of fine lines. As well as being used on the lips, this balm can be used as a moisturiser, eye mask, cuticle balm and for many other areas. You can find this product for around £12 here at ASOS.

Dr Lipp's Original Nipple Balm. Another multiuse product and one that I find myself repurchasing time and time again. Whenever I have a cold or the flu, my lips feel dehydrated and really quite gross and the one product that helps relieve that without question is this one and I absolutely love it. As the name might suggest Dr.Lipp was originally developed as a nipple balm for breastfeeding women because of its ultra hydrating & hypoallergenic multipurpose properties. Dr.Lipp has many benefits both medical and for beauty and is ideal for dry cuticles, dry skin patches, burns and abrasions, severely chapped lips, sore nipples, split ends, eczema, babies’ bottoms, and much much more. It costs just £12 per tube and in my opinion is worth every penny. I get mine from LookFantastic.

ByTerry Baume de Rose. This balm is delicately scented with Rose and smells just absolutely incredible. The most expensive of all my lip products, it is designed to Repair, nourish and revitalise your lips (and can be used on your cuticles). Using Shea butter for soothing and healing it does leave your lips feeling deliciously smooth, there is also the use of ceramides and vitamin E help to protect and fortify this delicate area against the signs of ageing. At £39 it isn't cheap but it is amazing.

So that is my ultimate lip care product guide and what I use to ensure my lips are kept in tip top condition rather than dry, sore, chapped and unsightly!  Can you spot a favourite of yours among my list?

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise